law

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the learned profession that is mastered by graduate study in a law school and that is responsible for the judicial system

   I studied law at Yale.

2. 2
   noun

   a generalization that describes recurring facts or events in nature

   the laws of thermodynamics

3. 3
   noun

   legal document setting forth rules governing a particular kind of activity

   there is a law against kidnapping

4. 4
   noun

   the force of policemen and officers

   the law came looking for him

5. 5
   noun

   the collection of rules imposed by authority

   civilization presupposes respect for the law

6. 6
   noun

   The body of binding rules and regulations, customs, and standards established in a community by its legislative and judicial authorities.

   Not unnaturally, "Auntie" took this communication in bad part.[…]Next day she[…]tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head. Then, thwarted, the wretched creature went to the police for help; she was versed in the law, and perhaps had spared no pains to keep on good terms with the local constabulary.

7. 7
   noun

   A binding regulation or custom established in a community in this way.

   There is a law against importing wallabies.

8. 8
   noun

   A rule, such as:

   "Do unto others as you wish them to do unto you" is a good law to follow.

Etymology

From Middle English lawe, laȝe, from Old English lagu (“law”), borrowed from Old Norse lǫg (“law”, literally “things laid down or firmly established”), originally the plural of lag (“layer, stratum, a laying in order, measure, stroke”), from Proto-Germanic *lagą (“that which is laid down”), from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (“to lie”). Cognate with Scots law (“law”), Icelandic lög (“things laid down, law”), Faroese lóg (“law”), Norwegian lov (“law”), Swedish lag (“law”), Danish lov (“law”), Finnish laki (“law”). Compare typologically distant cognate Russian уложе́ние (uložénije). Displaced nativ…